Kenyan Drake has consistently flashed monstrous Individual Ability and fantasy upside when afforded a chance. With Adam “Bulging Eyes” Gase and Frank “Corpse” Gore removed, Drake may finally be used to his fullest potential. New HC Brian Flores and OC Chad O’Shea both love Drake’s playmaking skills and versatility, and the talented back is a major fantasy rebound candidate in 2019.

As a runner, Drake escapes congested situations as well as any, with an insane ability to first make tacklers miss and then zip up the field in a hurry. He’s a fantastic route-runner and even more dangerous in space. Drake’s just one season removed from recording PFF’s highest yards after contact per attempt ever (4.29), and has produced in a Fantasy Wasteland even on limited work.

Even still, he hasn’t received a chance to truly shine, at least not for a full season. When used in a 15-20+ touch role, Drake has thrived. In 2017, following Damien Williams‘ Week 12 injury, Drake shouldered 20+ touches for three straight weeks (13-15), scoring as the RB4 in this span. His 444 rushing yards during 2017’s final five weeks led the entire league.

Yet, he still ceded an unfathomable 156 carries — 36 fewer than his own workload — to Gore. Though he’s not guaranteed proper usage, the new coaching staff at least recognizes his potential:

“I think Drake is an explosive player,” Flores said. “I’ve seen it firsthand, unfortunately. I think he’s a talented player. He catches the ball well. He’s a good runner. He runs hard. He does a lot of really good things.”

Meanwhile, O’Shea preached versatility and the ability to be “multiple” on offense, something that fits Drake to a tee. Hailing from the Patriots, O’Shea knows the value and mismatch potential of a pass-catching weapon out of the backfield, stating:

“The back is an important part of the offense… you look at the Dolphins’ roster right now, [and] it’s exciting to look at the backs. Competitively playing against those backs in New England that are in Miami now, it’s been a group that has a lot of strengths, and I can’t wait to work with them.”

Drake’s consistently excelled on all varieties of pass-routes, from deep flies and wheels, to screens and short hitches. He could easily slot into a James White style receiving role, with more rushing upside.

Whether he receives the “Usage” remains to be seen. But, with improved Coaching and less competition, Drake’s upside is now far higher.

Bottom Line: Pass-catching specialist, who? Christian McCaffrey returned to his college workhorse roots under new OC Norv Turner, and quickly put up Fantasy MVP-worthy numbers. He continued to flash his otherworldly receiving abilities, hauling in an NFL record 106 catches for 875 yards and 6 TDs. Yet where the usage really rose was the carries, as McCaffrey nearly doubled his 2017 total for 215 carries, 1080 yards, and 7 scores. These 321 total touches ranked third behind only Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley, and this newfound volume created the ultimate ceiling / floor combination. In the process, McCaffrey flashed both the elusiveness, breakaway ability, and most shockingly underrated power to redefine the workhorse model.

​New OC Norv Turner deserves immense credit for this outburst. His previous work with LaDanian Tomlinson proved he wasn't afraid to ride a smaller-back, as he's able to scheme his guys in space and in creative outside gaps versus just blasting them up the gut... but even still, never before had an NFL back played nearly 97% of the team's snaps. Yes, this number inevitably will fall in 2019, but McCaffrey should still hover around 85-90%, especially with Turner returning. Expect a similar buffet of weekly volume with the upside for even more efficiency should the Panthers beef up their line while their explosive young wideouts take a next step forward.

Ceiling Projection: 320 touches (100 rec.), 2,000 Tot. Yds, 13 TDs

Floor Projection*: 270 touches (70 rec.), 1600 Tot. Yds, 7 TDs

Actual Projection: 310 touches (90 rec), 1900 Tot. Yds, 12 TDs

*Note - Floors are done without injuries in mind. Of course the lowest floor is torn ACL first play of scrimmage. This assumes 16 games